Talon (The Talon Saga)

I stand before you, still wallowing in the tears that began to flow from my eyes while reading TALON by Julie Kagawa. No, they were not tears of sadness due to the emotional level of the story. More-so, they were tears of sadness because of the complete loss of (the apparently much-too-high) hopes, dreams and expectations that I’d held for this book.

No, I did not care for TALON.
I didn’t even like it.

This is one of those rare instances that I actually must use the word “dislike” toward a book that I’ve read. Maybe it is the way that my dreams were torn to pieces while reading TALON, a book that I almost put down completely around 50% of the way in. But I stuck with it due to some crazy sense of obligation. As a fan of Julie’s previous works, a vocal supporter of both her fey and vampire series as well as a collector of her handmade dragons, I was destined to love this book, right?!

WRONG.

Ugh. I feel like I’m going against my very nature by writing this review…

Talon starts off just as any paranormal young adult novel does (I’m not even going to call this book a “modern-day fantasy”, because it’s NOT) - with a young, female protagonist (Ember) embarking on a new chapter in her life. Ember just so happens to be a dragon in disguise, sent to California in order to assimilate with humans. But you wouldn’t know that because she acts just like any other normal teenage girl. Although I guess that’s the point of assimilation, but still… No need to assimilate this dragon, guys! Ember is pretty much your standard - albeit undeniably beautiful and insanely rich - modern-day teen! She is not at all like a dragon that you’d kept secluded for the most important, formative years of her life. If Ember didn’t constantly talk about “her dragon” and complain about having to wake up at 5am every morning for dragon training, I probably would have forgotten what her true self was to begin with…

Then there’s this really, really cool scene a dozen or so pages into the book. We’re dumped into a wild, tropical jungle, where it seems as though a major drug bust is going down. A plethora of (disturbingly young!) militants are running around a building… with guns. This is where we’re introduced to our main male lead, Garrett. Garret is apparently a teenage killing prodigy/machine with the Order of St. George. I almost had my hopes rekindled after he speaks of a terrible, fire-breathing dragon hanging about. Yesss!! This is when things will get GOOD, right? (Dragons! Fire! Hee-yahhh!)

…Yeah, maybe things do get good… for a page… or two.

Whereas this action-packed scenario could have been a great opportunity to lay down the groundwork on the history of the dragon lore, it turns into nothing more than a scene involving a bunch of humans fighting humans outside a building. When the dragon finally does come out – or more like explodes from the building – he’s taken down much too quickly. (And guess which character gets to be the one to take him down?)

Cut to a new scene and, just like that, Garrett the Dragon Killer is being shipped to the southern coast of California on a mission. His objective? Hang out with the local teens and identify the latest dragon “hatchling” implant… and then? Kill her.

Surf’s up, duuuude.

...Of course we all see where this is heading, right? Just like Romeo and his fair Juliet, almost immediately the stars align and Ember (the dragon) meets Garrett (the dragon killer). Much surfing and partying and hanging out ensues for the duo, as Garrett struggles with his inner turmoil and Ember struggles with her inner… dragon?

Want a laugh? Ember (as a human) refers to her dragon side as “my dragon”. The book contains lines similar to: “My dragon roared to the surface..” and “My dragon growled in reaction to his touch…” and “I felt my dragon stir within me…” and so on and so forth. You get the point… Eventually, I actually started to refer to Ember’s “dragon” as her secret male appendage and not so much as her split identity (or more like split personality).

To make matters worse, the (admittedly few and far in between) moments when we actually do get to see Ember’s “dragon” (I almost feel naughty saying that) are such a let down. Either 1) we join her for a brief, non-descriptive forbidden flight over the ocean with the rogue dragon, Riley/Cobalt, or 2) we witness as she runs from various human minions/dragon groupies (seriously what is with all the humans that support Talon?! I still don’t get their purpose.) who blast her with paint balls inside a warehouse of some sort. Talon calls this the final step in her “training”.

Holy sub-part character and world building, Batman!

With so much time spent on Ember’s overall displeasure over her situation, the story and the character relationships frequently get lost in the mix. I found myself not caring about the romance - a romance that involves a weird “dragon instinct vs. human emotion” love triangle of sorts. (Grrr, now my inner-dragon is growling…) I also was not interested in the exiles, the dragon training, the secrets, nor the fractured relations between Ember and her twin brother, Dante.

Almost two thirds of the story leads up to nothing but a kiss. And then some twists are thrown in that I think are supposed to be considered shocking, but unfortunately, by the time they occur I’d become so desensitized to the story that I just didn’t care. In fact, I’m still not even sure who the true bad guys of the story are. I have a feeling that the grey areas between “good” and “evil” are intended, but at this point, as I said, I just don’t care.

As for the dragons?

My dreams of the perfect dragon novel written by Julie-freaking-Kagawa have all been blown to smithereens… While the dragons sounded nice, I saw so little of them that I couldn’t even get a feel for their majesty. It saddens me that Ember herself his the size of a small horse? (Now I picture her as one of those cute and cuddly creatures that Julie Kagawa like to mold…) I have a feeling the dragons will be explored even more in future books, but I just don’t care enough to think about that possibility anymore…

I absolutely despise the fact that I have lost all my cares for this series.

It doesn’t help that so little time is spent explaining just about everything about this dragon-filled society, except for whatever is occurring in Ember’s immediate world. The animosity between Talon and St. George exists “just because”. The Order must kill all dragons “just because”. Dragons always follow Talon’s orders “just because”. (Seriously, that’s the explanation, guys.) Perhaps we the readers are not suppose to question these things either, because certainly nobody within the story does. NOBODY QUESTIONS ANYTHING. Not Garret, not his partner, not Dante, not anybody… Except, of course, for the “special ones”; the dragon exiles. And Ember. Because she’s speshul…

I don’t even want to think about the fact that there are still four more books during which this story and all of its separate convoluted elements will be dragged sorted out!

My point is: there is very little “modern-day fantasy” when it comes to TALON as a whole. It’s more like “angsty paranormal romance – with a love triangle!” If that’s your thing, go for it. Just know that being a Julie Kagawa fan will not guarantee insta-love for this book. (Though there is plenty of insta-love to be had within these pages – complete with all of the indigestion inducing, “tingly belly” sensations that come with it!)

With all that said, it is time for me to move on. I likely will not be purchasing nor continuing this series. I cannot deal with such disappointment again.

The core of Talon lies in two disparate institutions: the titular one and the Order of St. George. Despite each's animosity towards the other (or more likely, because of it), both Talon, the organization for dragons, and the one for their hunters deal in indoctrination, intimidation, lies, and half-truths.

With the threat of St. George constantly on their tails, dragons have had to find more covert ways to survive. They hide in human form and teach their hatchlings not only how to assimilate, but also prepare and train them in ways best suited for Talon and all of dragonkind. Unfortunately, the hatchlings have no say whatsoever in what their occupation might be. They have no say in their life at all and are granted just one summer, where they test their assimilation skills, to live the semblance of a teenage normalcy.

This is the world twins Ember and Dante Hill are born into. Ember is clearly the more "fiery" of the two, and it was pretty obvious she'd be the one to flaunt and eventually break the rules. Her brother Dante has a cooler and more collected nature, which both Talon and the guardians the institution assigns to them hope will temper Ember's flame.

Twin dragons are an unheard of anomaly, which serves well to hide their true nature from Crescent Beach's human inhabitants and the Order of St. George. Guardians are humans in the employ of Talon, entrusted with their secrets, but the guardians are not only responsible for looking after the young dragons, they also report to Talon on their progress.

Unfortunately (for the dragons) St. George's Order has evolved along with them, changing from armored knights with swords to specially trained soldiers with a much more impressive arsenal. Their only purpose is to seek out and slaughter their enemies, and they are well aware of "sleepers," dragon hatchlings strategically placed in human territories in order to acclimate them to their way of life aka Ember and Dante's current situation. For this reason Garrett and Tristan are also sent to Crescent Beach in order to sniff out the sleeper and eliminate it.

The chapters alternate between Ember and Garrett with a few from a dragon named Riley cycled in later on. They're written in the first person, but since the switch is dictated by chapter, head jumping isn't really a problem. Garrett's introduction was frankly annoying, and I'm wondering if the author did that purposely to throw sympathy towards the dragon kids, since she presented Ember and Dante's "case" first before showing the young soldier and his unit taking down a full grown adult. It's immediately clear the Order uses propaganda and half-truths about their lifelong enemy to keep the troops loyal (e.g. dragons are unfeeling monsters that are trying to take over humanity), which is exacerbated in Garrett since his entire family was killed by them leaving him only with St. George. I still rolled my eyes so hard when he was described as the "perfect soldier."

Since he and Tristan are the youngest in the unit (around 17 or 18), they're assigned the special mission to find and take down the Crescent Beach sleeper. It doesn't take long for Garrett and Ember to meet, and there's instant attraction between the two of them, which for Ember is strange since humans usually hold no interest for her, but it's possible that Garrett's aloof, detached nature is a draw, because that's how dragons are supposed to act. Ironically, she's much more boisterous, and it doesn't take her long to start chaffing at Talon's bit.

Throwing rogue dragon Riley into the mix serves to confuse Ember even more (and of course adds the ubiquitous YA love triangle). There's clearly something Talon is keeping from its hatchlings, but even seeing a rogue in their town in cause for concern. The organization is swift to hunt them down, and Ember's by the books brother would immediately report such activity to their guardians. Of course because this is a YA, Riley serves as a second love interest for Ember, but I like the dilemma it causes. Should she go with her gut (and dragon) and pick Riley, or follow the heart she didn't think she had and pursue Garrett?

An interesting thing about the "heart" is Talon tries to instill in its pupils that emotions such as love are human weaknesses. While dragons can feel a sense of devotion and loyalty, they really don't love, and they certainly don't fall in love with humans. Of course this is BS propaganda they use to indoctrinate the young ones, but if you repeat a lie long enough, eventually it becomes true insofar as enough people believe it. It's not that dragons can't love; it's more that they're told love is foolish and human, which means they close themselves off to it.

That's how propaganda and indoctrination work, and Garrett was taught the same about dragons by the Order of St. George. They can only mimic human emotions; they don't really experience them. This is of course a common tactic in war: othering your enemy. If you see an opponent as similar to yourself, it's much harder to kill them, but if you're convinced that they're not like you, it's far easier to put a bullet in their brain.

Both Talon and St. George see each side as "other," and it's their children who pay for that. Neither Ember nor Garrett really know how to "human." Ember because she's been taught that humans are prey and dragons are predators, so any seemingly human emotion is something to be expunged, and Garrett because after his family was killed, St. George took him in and exacerbated the natural hatred that would grow from such a loss to mold him into someone who only wished to rid the world of that threat. But emotions aren't solely for humans, and there's been animosity on both sides.

Both teens them have an inner voice. Ember has her "dragon." Garrett has his "soldier," but they're both just teenagers wishing to be normal. I was fortunate to be reading this at the same time as An Ember in the Ashes, so the similarities between the two were apparent. Garrett is a soldier like Elias, and both of them are beholden to some higher authority. Granted we start Ember with Elias wanting to get out, whereas Garrett initially is more than content with his place in the Order. They both fall for girls not only outside of their organization, but completely anathema to it and are forced to choose where their loyalties will lie or fall. Both matters of heart and morality depend on only one choice (though arguably this is a common theme in fiction).

I don't blame any dragon for going rogue. Once it's discovered not only what Talon does to them but to any member who doesn't live up to expectations, it's surprising there aren't more defectors out there. Ember's naivete is to be understood though. The organization makes sure hatchlings only know what they want them to know. Dragons are supposed to serve however it sees fit, and I, personally, would not want my whole life planned out for me without my input and against my desires.

Obviously Ember and Garrett eventually find out the truth about each other. That's not a spoiler; it's pretty clear it has to happen (though I did guess how), and the end of this book is a whirlwind, roller coaster ride that I shotgunned through the Saturday morning I finished. The narrative is fast paced throughout, but it's nearly impossible to but down once the end is nigh. I believe this really helps the story overall, since the teenagers act...well really teenagery in the beginning, and Garrett's first chapter comes off as utterly sanctimonious. Even though Ember's "rebellious teen" is cliched, her character is a relief from both Talon's and St. George's stringent rules.

Adults pass their mores on to the next generation, and they also attempt to instill in them the fear of questioning. In an authoritarian society, which is what both Talon and St. George are, adherence to authority is absolutely necessary in order for that society to continue on as it is. They follow the rule of teaching children what to think instead of teaching them how to think. If you can indoctrinate them with your propaganda, they'll do the same to the next generation and the next one into perpetuity. Until someone dares to break the cycle.

Garrett's been in St. George his entire life after his family was killed by their sworn enemy. He was completely indoctrinated into their belief system until he met Ember and realized it was all rubbish. Even before he knew she was the dragon sleeper, the thought that she could be didn't mesh with what he'd been taught about them, and what Garrett was taught is exactly how Ember is expected to act. She's not supposed to have human emotions. She's not supposed to legitimately make friends with humans, and she sure as hell isn't supposed to fall in love with one. Talon teaches them that humans do nothing but destroy everything and are a cancer on the world. I can't deny the truth in that, but the elitism deriding "mere mortals" is really just what some humans use to treat other humans poorly. If you don't believe someone has the same feelings/emotions you do and/or if you think your emotional status is on a higher level, you're not going to consider their viewpoint at all (which is what I was elaborating on above).

For Ember, getting closer to Garrett and just being friends with other teenagers teaches her that this just isn't true. While her brother has no issues "making friends," he does so like a dragon: with only the veneer of emotional attachment. He also won't question Talon or their motives, using the all too familiar "appeal to authority" fallacy. If Talon says it, it must be to keep them safe, and when Ember confides in him her findings, he falls back on cognitive dissonance in his denial, which puts a great deal of strain on a relationship that was hitherto skin tight..

I was a bit sad to see so many low ratings and disparaging reviews. It seems like most readers were expecting Daenerys's dragons from Game of Thrones and not more sentient ones that can shift into human. While certainly possessing a bestial nature of sorts (especially when she gets angry), Ember still has a rational mind and is no more a mindless maniac than any other character with an animal form. It's an odd expectation given that these dragons are taught to assimilate in order to survive (a concept I could say a lot about) and (according to the Order of St. George) eventually take over the world.

While Talon didn't do anything particularly new in the genre of YA (at least in terms of love triangles and teenage angst), the shapeshifting/weredragon angle was something I haven't see before (and I've read quite a few books on all types of shapeshifters including ones that turn into leopards and swans). Additionally, the book's lesson on why authority should be questioned is necessary especially in these turbulent times. Not doing so is detrimental, dangerous, and a far greater plague than dragons could ever unleash upon humanity.

Quote: “Rnesh karr slithis," I hissed back, which was Draconic for eat your own tail, the dragon version of go screw yourself. No extra translation needed.

Love dragons!
Love Julie Kagawa!
Love this book!

I think I've read everything Julie Kagawa has ever written (with the exception of her manga books, but I'm sure I'll read those eventually). The Iron Fey series is something that I've read more than once, and one that will always have a place on my bookshelf. Kagawa has an amazing ability to create beautiful, imaginative worlds that I frequently want to go back to. When I saw she had written a series about dragons, I couldn't contain my excitement! I immediately checked to see if my library had it--they did!

Ember is fiery and determined. She loves to challenge herself and doesn't blindly follow instructions. Unlike her brother, Dante, Ember questions Talon and their rules. It causes her to seek answers elsewhere, which leads her to Riley. Riley is a rogue dragon that promises to give Ember what Talon will not--answers. He claims to know Talon's deep, dark secrets, but he needs to make sure Ember is trustworthy before he shares too much. His life isn't the only one he's concerned about.

Then there is Garrett. He's been fighting dragons longer than he hasn't. He has killed mercilessly, but still has a profound respect for his opponent. When he is sent to lure a sleeper dragon out of hiding, he finds Ember. She affects him in ways he didn't anticipate, and is caught off guard by how deeply he cares for her. They build a friendship based on lies, but something bigger develops between the two. They find themselves drawn to one another despite their misgivings.

I love the relationship between Ember and Garret. It doesn't feel forced, and it doesn't escalate too quickly. It just happens in a slow, lovely way. Her relationship with Riley doesn't make this feel like a love triangle, because her brain knows she cares about Garret, even if her dragon responds very strongly to Riley. Riley thinks their dragons are reacting on instinct, but Ember never seems conflicted about her feelings. She cares about Riley, sure, but she knows he heart is with Garret.

Ember, Garret, Riley--they are all part of a war that has lasted an eternity. Both sides have been training and grooming their soldiers since they were children/hatchlings. It doesn't seem right to force that life on someone before they've been able to make that choice for themselves. If they're even given a choice. I think they've realized it isn't something they want to be a part of, but that means dire consequences for them all.

I really enjoyed Kagawa's descriptions of dragons and how they've adapted over time. It felt natural and believable. The story is fantastic, the secondary characters didn't feel like fluff (yay), and I already want to read the next book, which is currently on my phone and waiting to be listened to.

Originally posted on Do You Dog-ear? on Saturday, October 21, 2017.

In the Talon organization, hatchlings must spend around three months showing Talon they can blend with the humans and hide their true nature. But for Ember and Dante Hill, twin sibling dragons, this summer of fun and relaxation is not what it was supposed to be. Rogue dragons, the Order of St. George are just the tip of the iceberg as these two siblings try to navigate their accelerated training and find out what careers they will have in the Talon organization. But for Ember, change is coming and it’s going to take all her strength to break from the past and fly to the future because when the mortal enemies of the Talon organization, The Order of St. George, there will be death no matter what. Take a leap and see what Ember is willing to do to have the future she wants; not what others want for her.

TALON just blew me away. I had this series on my bookshelf for a while now and I am so glad I decided to try it after finishing the last mediocre book. This is a story of not just the dragons, which by the way are awesome but also of their enemies, the order of St. George as well. TALON gives you a fast-paced story that literally leaves you gasping in disbelief as you flip the pages quickly to see what is happening next. Ms. Kagawa delivers a story that is equal parts action adventure, romance and thriller. You have dragons, those glorious dragons, so delightful and so different than I have read before. I loved how this author delves in to the world of dragons and the history behind them. I loved how this author gives us such amazing and entertaining characters to fall in love with, even those ‘bad guy’ St. George soldiers. This is an author who knows how to let her characters shine in all ways, to show their vulnerabilities and flaws to the reader and to get you, the reader, to fall in love with them all. I’ve always loved this author’s work but TALON just takes the reader for a ride and doesn’t let them off till the last page is read and even then, you are left eager for more.

Meet Ember and Dante Hill. Twin sibling dragons, an anomaly in the dragon world. Dante has always walked the straight and narrow but once Ember tastes the breath of freedom, well let’s just say she tests her limits and rules to the max. I adore these two, not because they are dragons but also because the author does such a wonderful job in keeping them as different as night and day yet also have a strong bond between the siblings that tug at the heartstrings. Dante is trusting, a follower and believes in Talon 100%. Ember on the other hand is willful, determined to carve her own path even as she chafes at the strings and restrictions Talon organization has placed upon her. The characters are what makes this series so downright enjoyable. Ember is snarky, determined and fearless. Dante is methodical, a thinker and determined to toe the line with Talon. The secondary characters deliver more punches to the storyline and keep the reader guessing on what happens next.

TALON is a delight to read and one I am eager to read again. I am looking forward to seeing where this author will go in the series as Ember, Dante and the rest of the cast of characters find themselves on the front line of a war that if it got out to the humans, would be devastating to them all-Dragons, St. George soldiers and humans. Run-don’t walk-to grab this wonderful entertaining novel and settle in for some amazing storytelling.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

Dragon aspect in any books is always intriguing because you don't know how the story will go, who will they kill, and what the situation actually is. In Talon, we see a whole secret society of dragons who learned how to take human's form to fit in and try to make sure that humans do not suspect anything. The organization that manages the whole society is called Talon but they might not be what everyone thinks they are. With ongoing war against the Order of St. George, they have managed to stay hidden and grow in numbers.

I would say that if I would have to judge the book by its origionality and the whole idea of it, it would definitely be 7 out of 10. But the way Kagawa wrote it definitely felt more like a paranormal romance novel that included the dragon aspect of it but not really dug deep into it. With a cliche love triangle mixed with forbidden love, Talon still includes a lot of action but not enough to overlook the "I'm-a-teenger-I-do-What-I-Want" feel of it.

“Because you're exactly like me- you don't want your whole life planned out. You're tired of following Talon's rules, of not having any say in your future. You want to know who Talon really is, but it's even more than that, isn't it? You want to be free." His eyes gleamed, golden and brilliant in the shadows. "And I can show you how.”

Ember, Dente, Garret, Riley - POVs of each one of these characters are bringing the story more to life. Ember herself was a little frustrating at times just because she wanted to have fun and didn't care at all about anyone around her. You would think that if you're in training to be one of the killers for Talon, you wouldn't want to kiss random "humans" around. Think my favorite was definitely Garret. Even with him being the enemy, I loved his personality. The emotions that he was feeling and the newness of them were surprising to him & he was just overall badass.

My overall thought? Although this wasn't as perfect as I would liked it to be, I did enjoy listening to it as an audiobook and think I will continue with the series. I loved Garret and think I can overlook all the other flaws to see where the story goes.

Let me see… so simple, really, that I cannot bring myself to finish it. I like Kagawa’s Blood of Eden series but this is totally pathetic. Is this Twilight wanna-be with dragons? Because perfect, beautiful, gorgeous humans are monumental here.

Why should I care about MC Ember? Ah! Right, because she is a dragon that must pass by a gorgeous human. But she is also so tired of following the rules and the training that the order of Talon forces her to undergo. And then there is Dante, her just p.e.r.f.e.c.t. brother.
We also have Garret, the perfect epitome of beauty, as Ember puts it, BUT he hunts dragons.

Do you see where the simplicity of this is going here?

This world with dragons hiding among humans felt plain and just uninteresting to me. I can’t help to wonder if Kagawa rushed to write about dragons before the boom of Daenerys and Game of Thrones faded because this is so ridiculous that I cannot finish. I’m half way through, though.

I can’t connect with none of the characters because they all lack depth… development.

So our perfect human Garret saves dragon girl Ember of being sexually assaulted (as if there could have been any chance of that happening to a dragon!) and Ember is instantly wondering is she would ever see Garret again and “somehow break through that dignified shell to the person beneath.” But, of course she must put those thought out of her mind because Garret is human and dragons and humans simply don’t mate.

Oh! But Garret can’t get Ember out of his head either. You know, she being so beautiful and all…

Then we have a rebel dragon that left the protection of Talon and is stalking Ember because he wants her to know the truth about Talon. (….)

And so the story will become a love triangle that I have no interest in knowing how is going to end :-)

Well, that was a disappointment.

What makes Talon such an utter and complete disappointment is the fact that you go in expecting awesome dragon mythology with some kickass characters and some pretty intense plot twists. What you get instead is a cardboard cutout of every single bad YA book out there and the occasional mention of the word "dragon".

The story itself begins on the wrong foot, when immediately we are introduced to Ember. So begins the immense suffering of having to hear her whine, complain, and act stupid and recklessly throughout the rest of the book.

The whole book supposedly emphasizes how amazing, and powerful, and brilliant Ember is, but all I saw was an annoying, ignorant, and idiotic brat.

I could've looked past this if I hadn't immediately been thrown into some insta love. I'm telling you, one conversation and suddenly it's "oh there's something about him... He makes me feel so different".

And then... The next chapter or so gives us a love triangle. By this point (10% into the book or so) I felt like the book was just checking off a list which tropes to introduce next.

The writing itself wasn't my cup of tea, and I know many others will disagree with me but I'm starting to think Julie Kagawa isn't the author for me. I read The Iron King and disliked how juvenile the protagonist was plus was pretty annoyed at the extremely simplistic writing (when it wasn't in detail). Same thing happened to me in this book. I deplored Ember. Really I did. Never once do I think I liked her. When not describing the dragons or action scenes, the writing turned dull and sometimes even amateur. I cannot begin to tell you how many times (in the first chapter alone) was it mentioned that Ember's hair was red and her eyes were green. I wanted to stop listening to the audiobook altogether but thought against it believing that it would get better.

I didn't even get to read about dragons all that much! Instead I would get endless scenes with Ember hanging at the mall with her friends, or surfing at the beach, or going to an arcade to play games.

However, the audiobook narrators were pretty good. I mainly didn't put the book down because they made it much more tolerable. It was weird when the female narrator tried to do the male voice and vice versa, but it's something that not many narrators can achieve.

Overall, if you expect an awesome book about dragons, don't read this one. It is entirely disappointing and filled to the brim with tons of YA tropes that'll make you want to rip your eyes out. The audiobook narration however is great in comparison with the story, which disappoints because it was severely wasted on this book.

A review copy of this book was provided by Audiobook Jukebox in Exchange for an honest review.

This is solidly YA (meaning, kids 12ish to 20ish will enjoy this more than adults, I think). It's not a bad book, it's just filled with tropes I dislike, like love triangles and predictable betrayals. And very flat characters. The whole plot felt called in and the characters didn't feel genuine.

I like the concept that dragons walk about us, and the Order of St. George are timeless dragon hunters. But I didn't like that Ember's entire stance ("the dragon inside me") is so obviously human, even though she's supposed to be a dragon. I get that she was trained to blend in with humans, but when she refers to her real self as human, constantly....it just would've worked better if either Kagawa could've made her a bit more alien, or created a plot device where Ember was raised human and then discovered she was a dragon or something.

Also, the villains are very flat and Snidely Whiplash/Bond villain. And Dante was practically nonexistent as far as existing as other than a plot device.

On the plus side, the surfing stuff was a nifty detail I don't often see.

I don't actually recommend this one, unless you love dragons more than you love complex plot and developed characters. I won't be continuing the series. Do Kagawa's books get better? I hope so, because I've heard a lot about them. I also think I may need to step back from YA next month, because I'm getting seasick swinging between juvenile YA and phenomenal YA.

I thought this book was really good! I love dragons and the thought of dragon shapeshifters, so to speak, really got me stoked for this series.

I wasn't impressed with Ember's brother Dante, I really wished he could have been more like Ember, although she was a bit careless at times. I think you have to have the good cop / bad cop thing going on to create this particular story though. And it's not that Dante was bad, he just wanted to believe Talon and what they stood for.

I loved the characters of Garret and Riley! Garret is in the Order, which is trying to take out all dragons. Riley is a Rogue dragon that left Talon because he knew they were full of crap. And Ember is caught up in all of this.

I loved Ember's character because she wanted nothing more than to be free to do what she wanted and to be a dragon when she wanted. She tried so hard to follow Talon's rules and listen to her brother, but when you need to be free and you know something isn't right with the group your with then you have to spread your wings and fly. (Pun intended)

In the end a few different eyes were opened from all different groups. I think/hope this is a good thing because not everyone is what they seem and it just goes to show you should never just trust in the operation/group that you are in.

I loved it and I hope I love the next book.. Rogue!

PS ~ If your looking for an epic dragon fighting book, this is not the book. There are plenty of high fantasy dragon fighting books out there and hopefully we will see more of the dragons in the next book :)

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Favorite Quote:
"I would die saving someone instead of ending a life."

Strangely enough this book took me a little bit to read. I put it down for almost two-three weeks before ripping through the second half in two days. Hahaha. I loved the premise. I mean, dragons. What's not to love? I really liked how there were three main factions; Talon, St. George, and the rogues. I'm not too sure that I really agree with any faction honestly. Which I think is also where our lovely heroine Ember resides.

Ember was a strong main character. She makes some good and some bad decisions. She doesn't always know what to do and struggles between what she has been taught versus what she can see. I think she was very likable and I am definitely rooting for her. I think she has a lot of growing up to do here in future books and I'm quite looking forward to it.

I really loved Garrett. That maaaay be because I kept envisioning him as Heero Yuy (the perfect soldier of course) from Gundam Wing. (Though Heero may have shot her anyway once he found out she was his target lol). I enjoyed watching him struggle to be normal and how he changed. I also really loved how we got to see things from his point of view. It also really helped the pacing of the story to have the pov changes. It was very smooth.

I didn't mind Riley but I honestly really didn't want this to be a love triangle. It's....almost not? It's hard to explain without spoilers. Honestly by the end of the story I do like him it's just...I see him getting screwed over in the end. Which is my biggest issue with love triangles in the first place. I think how the triangle was portrayed is different than most. I think that Riley is going to get friend-zoned pretty hard core. Though perhaps we'll see who has more control. Ember or her dragon-self.

I liked the romance, I didn't feel like it was rushed and thankfully no insta-love mixed in. There was internal struggle, there was reflection on their feelings. Where those feelings love? What about the lifespan difference? What about the racial difference? There is a lot of room for expansion there too. I think book two will be quite interesting in this department.

I think it had a pretty spectacular ending that has me wishing the next book was already in my hands. Alas, I will have to wait. There is a lot of room for this story to go and I'm curious which directions it will take. I wonder what will happen with her brother. I wonder if there is more about the rogues that Ember isn't aware of. I wonder if any other St. George agents will follow in Garrett's footsteps? I want moar. Post-haste. Yesterday. Gimme gimme gimme.

I was interested to see how Kagawa's series would differ from Shana Abe's Sweetest Dark series. Kagawa has built a world different enough that I enjoyed Talon and look forward to the sequel. (Kagawa's work is less patriarchal than Abe's, but Abe wins for narrative style.) The lead girl, Ember, is relatable in her cross culture love story and personal challenges. Despite a slow start for world building (I agree with the young reviewer I drafted into a second opinion) it picked up quickly and held my interest to the end. Ember is placed in a position of exploration, learning why her society operates beside the human one and how to form her own choices drive this first book. Hopefully the next book will have more showing and less telling. I think Kagawa has a winning series here. I read this with my daughter and her friends cannot wait for it to come out so they can read it as well.

11 year old's review - "Talon by Julie Kagawa was a great book, and unlike any other dragon book I'd ever read. It showed the dragons trying to fit in with the human race, and they had a organization that had sent them there to do so. The beginning was a bit boring, and I though it would be one of those books that stretches on for every detail. But it turns out it just wanted to give you the scene for the rest of the book. It does have different chapters about different characters, but it has their name above it, so you can easily tell which character that chapter is about. I can say I loved it, even though some of the biggest character's actions weren't the smartest or what I would've like best. It wasn't too romantic of a book, and besides Ember's choices that I didn't really agree with, the book was so great!!"

I love the way Julie Kagawa writes. Her writing is the sort of writing that sucks you in and makes you soar through the pages. I read a big chunk of this is one sitting. But, I'm still sorting out how I feel. I enjoyed the book, it was a quick fun read. But, it left me feeling deja vu. And I think I figured out why. There are so many cliches and tropes in the book, and even with the dragons and dragon slayers, it just didn't feel original. The overall feel of the book tickled my memory and reminded me of something. Like how when you catch a whiff of a smell, and you know you know that smell, but you can't quite recall what the smell is. That's what I felt like after I finished the book.

I was expecting more incredible world building, and crazy awesome dragon-ness. What I got was a paranormal romance that happened to have dragons and dragon slayers instead of, say, vampires and vampire hunters, or werewolves and werewolf hunters. It felt a bit recycled.

Even the characters were typical: We have the snarky, stubborn, sort of naive main character, the seemingly perfect all-around boy next door who isn't exactly what he seems, the bad boy rebel that the main character can't help but be attracted to, the brother that was like a best friend but now is keeping secrets and drifting apart, and the friend who is boy crazy but is always there when the main character needs her.

I actually did really like Garret and Dante and even Riley. I can forgive Ember for her whining about just wanting to have fun and surf and be free, because frankly, that was how I was when I was her age during the summer. I didn't want to work or babysit or have chores, I wanted to have fun dangit! But, she was just so naive and blind and at times I just wanted to knock her upside the head and say "how can you miss that? How do you not get it? Look at the signs, they're right in front of you!" And the two friends (I don't even remember their names) were both pretty flat and forgettable.

It wasn't bad, like I said I did enjoy it, and I will continue the series (if only for the gorgeous covers. I mean come on. Have you seen them? I love them!) And since I still managed to enjoy it so much, even though it wasn't exactly original, I'm giving it 4 stars

Going in, I knew that this audiobook was probably going to be a letdown given how the reviews were stacking up, but I got it as a daily deal, so no big. The blurb is misleading with its “groundbreaking modern fantasy series” because Sophie Jordan wrote a very similar story back in 2010 with FIRELIGHT. Those points aside, Julie Kagawa has been on my radar for a while, and I love dragons. Overall, I did enjoy TALON from a Contemporary Young Adult Romance standpoint even though it was super predictable, and not overly avant-garde.

The love triangle was a given; book 1 focused on the ‘forbidden boy’, and if the author stays true to the YA course, 2 will be about Ember’s dragon’s mate, and the conclusion will be her making the inevitable choice. Oh wait, there are five volumes planned, so expect a few filler installments in-between. Still, I liked Garret. My #1 gripe with this novel was the absence of dragons. TALON (the organization) is all about assimilation, and the author fixated on that; there were a total of four shapeshifts, and two of them happened in tandem at the end.

I enjoyed the alternating POVs because they allowed listeners to come to their own conclusions about each of the characters, and went a long way towards establishing their back stories. Ember’s on her way to being a hellraiser with her defiant nature, and relentless quest for the truth. The plot did have some noticeable holes in it though like for instance TALON’s pathetic attempts at hiding their sleepers. Dead parents, recent transplants, and draconic names were major red flags, and made it almost too easy for St. George to track them down.

The narration was this audio’s strongest suit with three seasoned performers; all were new to me, but that didn’t stop me from being dazzled by their deliveries. As the lead, Caitlin Davies captured the heroine’s teenaged voice to perfection; my only criticism of her was her pronunciation of ‘room.’ It was quite noticeable because the word appears repeatedly, and she didn’t enunciate the second O. MacLeod Andrews was a pivotal factor in me being pro-Garret early on, and Chris Patton’s role was minor, so I won’t weigh-in on his narration just yet.

TALON didn’t soar, but it didn’t crash & burn either—typical YA. ~3.5 stars

An Interesting Book

The book is TALON by Julie Kagawa. The genre is fantasy and it's fantasy because the events in the book can't happen in real life. If you were to read it, you would know its fake but you would pry think it is mystery because the events happen out of nowhere. To me I give the rate of 7 on this book because it really wasn't the best book I've read but it was better than others. It's more interesting if you read all the books of the series, but if you read one it ends weird, because it kinda a book that ends and says this will be continued. So it's just like reading all the books in one big book.
The whole book is mainly about a village of dragons and a village of humans. The thing is the humans hate the dragons and the dragons hate the humans. The dragons hate the humans because they hunted and killed the dragons to almost extinction. The humans hate the dragons because after the dragons got hunted and killed they got mad at the humans and tried to take over the world. This book is recommended to all people who are looking for an interesting book.

This book introduces you to a world of dragons and their eternal battle with the human organization of Saint George. This book follows a lively but quirky hatching dragon ember, you can say the MC is someone you can relate with who is growing through the turmoil of being a teenager and the prospects of a future she has no control of especially being a dragon in human disguise. The political issues are vivid, the confrontations within the novel at times are life and death and the movements of characters are very specific and match the characters perfectly, there are time you would think to yourself i know this person is going to do this meanwhile you get more shocked when they go beyond what you expected. Its a great novel and book one leads you into a fantastic universe. Currently on Book 2, try it out its worth it.

Julie Kagawa’s writing is magic. Not only can she effortlessly transport you into someone else’s life, but in this book she does it multiple times with changes of POV. There was no doubt in my mind who was talking and I also loved each character just as much as the next – always a plus!

The story revolves around Ember, a feisty dragonnell restricted by rules, looking only to be free of them. I really felt for her struggle meaning when she was upset, so was the reader and when she was happy, I couldn’t stop grinning like a fool. Her enthusiasm for life was contagious and made me want to abandon the homework staring at me from across the room and go jump in the ocean!

My favourite character however was Garrett. Oh Garrett… I love him. To see the strong, emotionless solider start to experience new feelings and come into himself was a joy to read. It also led to some hilarious moments which I wasn’t expecting.

Then there’s Riley, but to be honest he’s too much of an obstacle in Garrett and Ember’s relationship for me to care all that much about him; even though he’s a great character in his own right. They have enough on their plates as is, what with the “go against the beliefs you were raised with and die” thing – a key theme.

Overall, this book combines everything I could have hoped for: action, swoonworthy romance, family relationships (but that’s a whole other thing I won’t get into for fear of spoilers) and dragons! Julie Kagawa can do no wrong, and Talon proved this by being one of my favourite books so far this year.

Posted on: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk/

I was excited about this book since it featured dragons. Imagine a world where dragons walked among us in human form, infiltrating society and taking their place in high ranking government offices. Young dragons are trained at a facility called Talon, a place we only hear about in this narrative. When the young dragons turn 16 they are introduced to human society with a human host family. There they will interact and learn while awaiting their assigned professions based on their particular skills and talents. The two dragons starring in this book are Ember and Dante Hill. (Ember, really?)

The parallel story line features soldiers from an organization called St. George, a highly trained military group with one mission – wipe out dragons. Most humans don’t know dragons exist so soldiers from St George blend into society to seek out these dragons in human form, then destroy them. The opening chapters about St George describe a huge fire fight in South America where the soldiers have pinned down an older dangerous dragon. It’s like Seal Team 6 meets the Cujo of dragons. The main soldiers we read about are Tristan St. George and Garret Sebastian.

The chapters drift back and forth between the young dragons and their host family and two soldiers from St George. Unfortunately it turns into a teen angst theme with Ember having feelings for Garret (a man sent to kill her) and a rogue dragon who appears, flirting with Ember. Garret has the baggage of hating dragons because they killed his family when he was a child. Now he is having romantic feelings for Ember and this keeps him from focusing on his mission.

Turned out there were very few scenes with dragons. I read the entire book but it wasn’t what I had thought it would be. There is a cliffhanger ending, which you can see coming as you near the end of the book, and it leads the way for the next book in this series. Right now I don’t think I will read that next book. I had enough teenager hand-wringing with Hunger Games and Divergent.

But that’s my opinion and like I said, I did finish the book. Give me more dragon and less juvenile romance, then I would read part two.

The Good
Dragons. Dragons walking around in human form, trying to fit in, trying to survive. What’s not to love about this. The story was good, and it was fun following the thoughts and expressions of the characters in this story. I love that you could also see a romance blooming between the main characters without the insta-love.

The Bad
Some things about the Order just didn’t jive with me. Especially where Garret was concerned. He was seventeen and hunting dragons. OK. I can deal with that. He’s been hunting dragons since he was fourteen. OK. I can deal with that. My headshaking and disbelieving comes from the fact that I know you can’t sign up for the military until you are eighteen. The Order is based heavily on military tactics and rules, so it was hard for me to accept that Garret was among them. Why? I’m not certain. Maybe I just didn’t see it as morally right. I am not certain, but it bugged me. A lot.

The Review
Overall, I loved the book. It was a good read. The characters and how they decided what they were going to do. I don’t like Talon and I don’t like the Order, but I don’t think we’re supposed to. I’m interested in getting my hands on Rogue and seeing how the story continues, and how Ember and Garret deal with the consequences of their actions in Talon.

Ember and her brother are dragons but unlike your typical dragons they have a human form. After sixteen years of training they at last have the chance to live among the humans they will spend the rest of their lives living with. That is if they can spend the next three months on the beach to work on assimilating in with the locals. If they are a success they will move on to training if they fail it’s back to training for reintroduction. The pair quickly fits in with the locals Ember falling in love with surfing it’s almost like flying which is against the rules. Ember and Dante aren’t the only ones going under cover Garret and Tristin are also on a mission to find and kill Talons sleeper dragon.

While each duo is on a mission it’s Ember and Garret who find in each other that special spark that their lives have been missing. Soldiers of St George and dragons are similar, they don’t form emotional attachments they don’t have fun, but and certainly don’t fall in love least of all with the enemy. However both Garret and Ember are different they found love while each keeping a secret that will everything if it gets out. Ember has a lot to deal with working hard to fit in with her human friends, training for Talon, and she’s even attracted the attention of a rogue dragon. What happens when the truth comes out? Will Garret still hunt Ember? Will Ember run off with the rogue?

I wasn’t sure about Ember but as the book progressed her fiery personality sparked and I was hooked. I really enjoyed reading Embers story as she grows from the unsure hatchling into the might dragon who risks it all. I also liked how Garret went with his instincts following his heart giving into the chance to have fun and fall for Ember. We are also given a little insight into her brother Dante I have some love hate for. I’m a little nervous a love triangle might be developing but it’s kind of weird in a way but will have to see how it plays out.

I’ve had Talon sitting on the shelf for several months just haven’t gotten around to reading it yet but I needed too it’s been calling my name. I honestly had some pretty high expectations based on the reviews and everyone who’s read it and it doesn’t disappoint. This isn’t my first dragon vs slayer concept and I enjoyed the author’s unique spin on it. I love the idea of dragons being able to shift into humans and hide among them. The characters are well developed, I found it easy to connect with and for them to steal my heart. Talon is an action packed novel filled with romance, mystery, suspense and action right from the start I was drawn into the novel. I was captivated by Talon it’s an interesting story that I had a hard time putting down. This is my first novel by Julie Kagawa but I’ve become a quick fan of her work. Her writing style is smooth it flows from start to finish easily getting lost in the book. I honestly loved Ember she might be my favorite character of the year.

"Talon" by Julie Kagawa is a mesmerizing and uniquely imaginative blend of fantasy and mystery that begins with the arrival of two young dragons -Ember and Dante Hill - disguised in their human form, to Crescent Beach for summer vacation. Unlike Dante who's a dedicated to the secret dragon society who train young hatchlings to infiltrate the human world, Ember yearns for freedom from all their orders and restrictions. But her independence is curtailed when a cold-hearted, sadistic trainer appears at the estate to train her in combat techniques. What Ember doesn't expect as she grapples with her obedience and loyalty to "Talon", is to have her heart divided between a rogue dragon and a human;only the latter is a soldier of the Order of St. George, dragonslayers who will stop at nothing to exterminate dragonkind. In a crazy, intense emotional roller coaster ride, Ember must make choices that will not only determine her future and alienate her brother, but also to trust the human she loves.

Julie Kagawa sets this innovative fantasy in a world where mankind is ignorant of a secret dragon organization- Talon- whose hatchlings over the years have infiltrated society in human form; their sole purpose, the domination of the world globally. Hunted almost to extinction the dragons continue their war against the soldiers of the Order of St. George who want to exterminate them. But both sides hold tight to secrets, deceptions and lies that may eventually erode their sects as dragons and humans who detest the prejudice, violence and death are beginning to rise up.

The story told through the voices of Ember, Garrett and Riley is well-written and enthralling from the first page to the last as Ember not only begins to understand the underlying threat poised against dragons fleeing Talon's clutches, boldly rebels in a bid for independence, but also learns the cost of her defiance may include the loyalty of her brother. Although the plot is filled with betrayal, violence and death there are strong elements of friendship, hope and love. As in most popular young adult fantasy series there is a romance not only between in Ember and Garrett which changes their outlooks but a slowly simmering attraction between the dragons Firebrand and Cobalt. Slowly tension and suspense builds as events unfold only to end in an unsettling cliff-hanger that begs for a sequel.

I liked Ember Hill (aka Firebrand) the intelligent sixteen year old spitfire who's amiable, competitive and stubborn. Her human and dragon sides both rebel against the intolerance and restrictions of an organization that would prostitute or kill its own kind. Garrett Xavier Sebastian haunted by the death of his family is determined and ruthless in his obsession to be the "perfect soldier" and to destroy as many dragons as he can before he dies. When challenged by Ember's love-of-life, bravery and human desire, he begins to question his ideas about dragons and his role in the Order. Riley (aka Cobalt) is the cocky, arrogant, and sarcastic rogue who exasperates Ember. With a simmering attraction to the "Firebrand" he's determined to save Ember, even if it means sacrificing his life. Dante is self-absorbed, highly reserved and fearfully obeys Talon's orders completely, forfeiting loyalty to his sister. All these characters and more add energy, drama and passion to this well-developed, intriguing story.
Even antagonists like the heartless cruelty of the Talon organization, the merciless persistence of the Order of St. George and sadistic trainers like Lilith capture the imagination adding excitement, dark chills and deadly foreboding.

I liked "Talon" and its theme of rebellion against secretive and deadly sects filled with hatred and prejudice. I look forward to reading the sequel in this captivating series.

Talon is a crazy, suspenseful tale with the bones of a Romeo and Juliet-type love story but with a love triangle instead of an obvious one-to-one romance.

And now you're wondering:

HOW, GABY, HOW?

To which I explain:

Ember has been warned against the Order of St. George her whole life. She's also been told Rogues are disgraceful and must be eradicated for the safety of dragonkind. Garrett is ready to shoot down any dragon he sees and Riley quickly fixates on Ember and decides he needs to save her, all while avoiding Talon (Dante? - Ember's twin) and St. George (Garrett).

So you see, they're all turned against each other and Ember should be with neither male love interest, and yet her dragon is inexplicably drawn to Riley and her human-self is so into Garrett that, even when the other shoe drops and it becomes clear to Garrett that Ember is the dragon he's hunting, neither are sure they can eliminate the threat.

Now, I'm not really into love triangles and I'm not into the Romeo and Juliet romance set up. So basically I could have lived without the somewhat weighty romance plot. I also can't say the book played it's cards close to it's proverbial chest - I pretty much knew what was coming the whole time.

What I did like was the multi-POVs. In the first half, Ember and Garrett run the show and, in the second, Riley gets a slot. It's really interesting to read how each leg of this triangle is so sure of what's right and what's wrong. Especially how Garrett has proof that dragons are evil and Ember knows Rogues and humans are bad news and Riley - well, Riley kind of has a lot of the answers, really. But no really knows the whole story and, therefore, everyone's kind of driving blindly here. So, as the reader, you know the most, which is an interesting place to sit over the course of a book.

I also really like the dragons. It was a little jarring to have dragons in present day and I'm not sure I'm totally there yet, but maybe book 2 - Rogue - will get me? I'm really not sure if I'll read it, though, despite the lovely cover. I mean, according to Goodreads, this is a 5 book series and I don't think I'm 5 books interested in this story.

Kagawa creates two complex organizations with ideologies that diametrically oppose each other. She throws a teenager from each together. Conflict results. The two secret societies battling each other is a perfect backdrop for this novel.
What do teenagers care about some remote war? Ember wants freedom.I enjoyed viewing the dragon society through the different eyes of the three narrators. Is Talon the evil organization the rogue dragon believes? Is there a greater purpose behind their disguises?
For Garret, he’s been a soldier his whole life. He learned to kill dragons at 14 and has more kills than anyone his age. But is there more to life than hunting the beasts that killed his family?
Usually, I’m not a fan of love triangles. In this case, it didn’t bother me (as much) because it was obvious that Ember had a duality – dragon and human. Each side of her preferred the guy from its race.
I wasn’t thrilled with the ending because, while the story question was resolved, it introduced the problem for the sequel. Was she afraid we wouldn’t read the sequel unless she wrote it this way?
It might have earned five stars from me because I loved the characters, the conflict and the constant tension, if the ending hadn't been so predicable.

Adolescence should be a time for freedom, rebellion, and learning about who you are, but if you are part of Talon, your life is never yours. In the first book of Julie Kagawa's new series, Talon, a unique young woman fights rules and restrictions like every young teen, except she is the furthest from a normal teenager as one could be.

Ember Hill is unique. She has a brother. It is very rare for a dragon to have a sibling hatched alongside them. Dante is her best friend, but not only because they have been hidden away by a secret dragon society for most of their hatchling years. She trusts Dante completely. Now she and Dante are being moved to California to learn to assimilate with the humans so they can eventually live among them without detection once they are trained for their careers in Talon. Talon understands that if humans knew about the dragons, they would hunt them to extinction, so they protect their hatchlings and their way of life. Although they haven't been able to keep their existence a secret from everyone. An equally secret order of humans called St. George lives and dies by hunting dragons. They know they have to do away with female dragons and hatchlings to keep the next generation from taking over the world. All this is important to Ember, obviously, but what she really wants is one summer of freedom and "normalcy" for a girl her age at the beach. Unfortunately, her summer, like her life, is anything but normal.

Ember and Dante's human guardians have strict rules, but it doesn't mean they aren't allowed to have some fun. Ember loves her freedom as much as she loves the beach and surfing. Since she isn't allowed to fly under any circumstances while she is off Talon controlled property, surfing is the closest she can come to that feeling of exhilaration. When she meets a boy named Garrett, she can't help but be drawn to him, even if her inner dragon is screaming at her to run away. But Garrett has a secret, too. As an elite member of St. George, he has been sent to California to find the new hatchling their sources say has been infiltrating the town. He suspects Ember, but he has always known dragons don't have siblings. That, among other St. George facts, might be completely wrong. For Ember, everything she knew about Talon might be wrong as well. This is a story about two young adults who come from opposite ends of an ancient war who really know nothing about the sides they have been born into fighting for.

I really love Julie Kagawa's books. I still haven't read her lengthy Fae series, but her vampire series was a breath of fresh air in a genre that is stuffed with "same ole, same ole." Now she takes a dragon story and makes it fresh, new, and exciting! I loved how Ember was going through the same kinds of struggles as any teenager: boys, friends, parties, feeling stifled by rules and restrictions, etc., yet she was as different as different can be. It made her relatable yet completely interesting, and I absolutely loved it. She was even stubborn and petulant at times, just like every teen we know and love. I also loved Garrett for the same reasons. The only character who was really flat for me was Dante. I just couldn't get over how unwilling he was to even consider there might be other answers out there that contradict what Talon always told him. He was naive and unimaginative, and therefore, I found Ember's devotion to him difficult to tolerate.

The story itself never had a dull moment, and you will find yourself questioning everything right alongside Ember. She is inquisitive and skeptical, and I think a lot of teens will really relate to her, even if she is a mythical flying reptile! Kagawa has done it again with this story, giving readers an exciting and thrilling story that when it ends, you will find yourself screaming, "NOOOO!" because you just want MORE! Loved it!

“They wanted me to sit, listen, learn, be quiet, when I wanted to run, shout, jump, fly.”

I did not think Julie Kagawa could have done any better than she did with the Iron Fey Series... Yet I was proven wrong!!

I am a huge dragon fan! Except that every time I've read dragon books I've usually been really disappointed which is why I was very hesitant in trying this series!
I am so glad that I did, because Julie writes about dragons like I've never seen before. This whole idea that dragons can switch into human form and have tried to live amongst us for a while now is so fantastic I couldn't believe no one ever came up with his before.

I love Ember! Her attitude and personality is so amazing and hilarious, there were moments where I didn't know if I should laugh with her or admire her for the things she did! She's one of those characters where she doesn't like being told what to do, and she likes to know the details of what she's doing and why she's doing it, which is exactly what Talon doesn't provide her. I love how she's brave enough to try and seek out answers on her own to discover the truth about Talon.
There were moments where she really had me worried, she could have handled some situation way better than how she did it, but it just added to her character and made me admire her even more.

Garret and Riley... I usually have a clear choice in love triangles but this time I'm stumped. I love Garret, and I love how he is going through pretty much the same thing and Ember and not knowing if their organization has been honest with them. He's really cute and I super athletic which I love. But on the other hand we have Riley, and he's that badass/motorcycle riding/rouge dragon. I usually have a thing for the mysterious bad guy that ends up falling in love with the main character, but this time I would have to say that I like Garret's personality way more than Riley, but Riley is a dragon which is major cool.
If Garret was a dragon I would most likely be trying to get married to him right now, but I guess not all wishes come true.

The plot of this story was fantastic, while it was a little long, there was tons of action and surprises that made you want to keep reading. Julie's writing just keeps getting better and better, and it just makes you fall in love with the characters, the plot and the world-building. All aspects of the book were perfectly written.

I cannot wait to continue reading this series when the next book comes out. I highly recommend this book to all Fantasy lovers, no matter the age group, and no matter if you like Dragons or not. You will love this book.

Happy Reading,
-Aneta

Here there be dragons! Julie Kagawa's Talon is the first in her epic new series featuring, you guessed it, dragons! (and the Order of St. George, aka dragon killers).

This promises to be a truly amazing series, Hollywood has already optioned it for film and if they're smart, they'll make it happen because this book was really, truly freaking incredible! I have loved pretty much everything Julie has written and Talon proves no different.

Ember and her twin brother, Dante, are rare in the Talon society because twins are basically an anomaly. They are being let out of their "keep" to come and study human society and basically learn to assimilate.

All too soon we meet Garret, a member of the Order of St. George, dedicated to hunt and eradicate dragons. No one really knows how all this animosity started, it's just the way of things. At first, Garret isn't sure if Ember is a dragon or not, the fact that she has a twin throws him off. In order to learn the truth he has to get closer to her.

Then there's Riley, a rogue dragon who's basically wanted for leaving the Talon. But Ember soon learns that the Talon are keeping secrets from her and her brother. That they have their own agenda.

I'm not really surprised that I loved this one! Julie is just an incredibly talented author who only continues to amaze and entertain me (and sometimes torture me with evil cliffhangers!). Talon was a truly exciting and enjoyable read. I loved every minute of it! The pacing was good. Granted, we don't really know where the story is headed right away, but there is a kind of mystery or intrigue that builds up, so it makes it quite the thrilling read.

I'm sure you noticed we have two guys and a girl. But surprisingly, for now, it doesn't really ring as a love triangle. Ember has a clear choice in mind even though we readers see the folly in it. And the other "choice" hasn't really any ground for the moment. He didn't make much of an effort for the first half of the book basically. There's definitely tension and connections going on, but Ember's heart has clearly made a choice and she doesn't want to be the kind of girl with two guys after her. Of course things are bound to get complicated as we move along in the series and her choice may not be as final as we think.

I also liked that we got Ember and Garret's point of view. It definitely gives you more insight to Garret when we believe him to be the enemy. And we get to see some major character growth with both these people. And add in Riley in part two and we definitely learn a lot more about him. He's still got a bit of mystery going on about him but I am eager to see what we learn in the next one!

Talon was quite action-packed towards the end, leaving you kind of breathless with anticipation. The ending itself definitely leaves you craving for more, but I can at least happily say that you won't be screaming in agony *coughsTheIronTraitorcoughs*. But who's to say what Julie will do to use in book 2! I definitely can't wait for more in this series because it's bound to be amazing! Julie Kagawa has done it again, first with the Fey, then vampires and now dragons! There's nothing this author can't do that won't be incredibly epic!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

This is the first in Julie Kagawa's dragon-shifter Urban Fantasy. Ember and Dante are dragons, who can assume a human form, which they need to do to stay hidden within the human society, The two of them come from the same nest, which is highly unusual in dragon society. Note that although the assumption is that they are considered by all and themselves to be twins, however the phrasing Kagawa uses may indicate a second origin for either Dante or Ember. Just speculation on my part, mainly due to the way their egg nesting or hatching is described.
The two teens couldn't be more different. Ember is outgoing, free-spirited, rebellious and Dante is determined to abide by the rules, regimented and happy to stay within the boundaries laid out for him.
Ember is torn between her two souls. Her human soul and body wants Garret the human, and her dragon body and soul really want Riley. Ember and Riley's dragons speak to each other on such an intimate level it is as if they were destined to find each other.Little does Ember know that both her hunky heartthrobs have hidden agendas, one of them is planning to kill her and the other save her from Talon. Apparently Talon isn't exactly what they are pretending to be. Are they really protecting the hatchlings?
Kagawa has once again created an exciting venture into Urban Fantasy. I can see this story appealing to younger readers, especially those in the midst of the their first experiences with love.
Is it as intricate as Kagawa's Iron Fey series,? No. Or as dark and mesmerizing as her dystopian Blood of Eden series? No. It is a little more mellow when it comes to complexity and focuses a lot more on matters of the heart and gut emotions. Perhaps time will tell if this romantic ménage à trois will develop into a series with more grit. At the moment it does tick all the boxes for a compelling Urban Fantasy read, but knowing Kagawa this is only the beginning and there is much more to come.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK & Harlequin Teen.

As expected from Julie Kagawa, Talon is a splendid spin on traditional dragon lore, in a contemporary setting, and against the background of a Romeo-Juliet-esque romance. The book, though in two parts, can be divided into three story arcs. Ember is a rebellious dragon who is finally out of her compound, to learn how to assimilate among humans. Garret has been trained to be a soldier right from his childhood. Obviously, both haven't had a `normal' childhood, so finally coming among teenagers for their respective missions is a wondrous learning experience for them. When they meet, one is hunting the other, so things at the start build up slow. There is an attraction, but it is restrained by the upbringing of each, even though they don't know the other's secret. Second arc is them falling in love, while juggling their respective missions. Third arc is where it really picks up because the reality of Talon as well as St. George's Order comes out, partially. They both question the lies they have been told and abandon their old beliefs. If you are expecting them to run off into the sunset, well, that does not happen because there is another guy in the picture - a rogue named Riley who wants to save Ember from Talon. Needless to say, it is a love triangle and romance does drive the story quite a lot.

The thing, though, for me not totally loving the book was it's predictability. Even though the writing was great and kept me on edge, I practically knew the plot twists. Saw through the bravery, betrayal and secrets. So, for a Kagawa book, this one lacked the charm of Iron Fey and the rush of Blood of Eden. Not that this book is in any way related to those series, but after those, the bar is kinda set high, and this one - did not hit it. Towards the middle, the romance got a bit mushy too - with Garret's constant `what if she's the dragon? what if she is just a human?' routine getting tiresome. The star-crossed thing worked in this book, since Riley isn't really that appealing for a triangle. The secondary characters could have been explored better - I particularly felt that Dante was left out. However, with the epilogue, I hope a bigger role for him in Rogue. In fact, I am looking forward to Rogue quite eagerly, since I have hope for this series. 3.5 stars.

Okay, I have to admit that despite the fairly boring plot, I did enjoy the book. A lot. That said, I noticed some rather eerie similarities to Fallout 4 and to the Aranya trilogy by Marc Secchia. I don't know if either copied off the other, but this seems almost like a blend of the two in a modern setting. Here's what tipped me off (massive spoilers following).

Talon is essentially the Institute from Fallout 4: Ultra-secretive, hides agents (synths vs. Shifted dragons) among normal people, trying to conquer the world from behind the scenes, high-tech, secret base in the middle of nowhere where their agents are created and trained...you get the picture. St. George is the Brotherhood of Steel: armored "knights" with modern armor and weapons, who are dedicated to hunting down and eradicating synths/dragons with high-tech gear, and led by a charismatic and single-minded leader. Riley and his rogues are the Railroad: a group dedicated to freeing synths/dragons from the Institute/Talon by using secret agents and staying under the radar while under constant attack from the Brotherhood of Steel/St. George. The structure of all major groups lines up to an insane extent.

For the characters, the main three line up surprisingly well with the cast of Aranya: the main character (Aranya/Ember) is a normal-seeming dragon-human shapeshifter with a mysterious background. Her soon-to-be-formerly human boyfriend (Yolathion/Garret) started out as soldiers in an organization dedicated to conquering/eradicating the organization of the main character (Sylakia vs. Immadia/St. George vs. dragons), only to be converted to the side of the main character by her fantastic personality. Later, the boyfriend comes perilously close to death at the hands of the leader of their former organization (Thoralion/the Patriarch) and only survives by being converted to a dragon shapeshifter using the body fluids of a dragon shapeshifter (Aranya's tears/Riley's blood). The boyfriend then takes off on their own, at least for a while. The main character also has a pseudo-boyfriend forced on them by forces outside of their control (lifebonded to Ardan/lifemates with Riley), and the main character is split between them and the formerly normal boyfriend.

Original Review at: www.awesomebooknuts.blogspot.com

I have liked everything I've read by this author. So this wasn't a surprise to me, by the end, how much I love this author and her writings.

At first when reading Talon I thought it was going to be too similar or exactly like the Firelight Trilogy by Sophie Jordan. I was almost cringing at how much they were similar...at first. But I continued and as the story progressed, yes there were a lot of similarities but Kagawa is really good at taking a story and making it her own.

As you can tell just by looking at the cover and by my mention of Firelight, this book is about dragons. The kind that can change into human form. The problem with these types of stories for me is I have a hard time relating or seeing these things as "beautiful" haha I even tried finding a picture to match was I was trying to picture in my head. But they are all pretty terrifying. The story of Talon is about a secret society of shape-shifting dragons and the Order who hunts them down. Your typical YA dragon story. From the story Talon is all about it's own species preservation and doing whatever it needs to achieve that. After being hunted down almost to extinction they decided to infiltrate human society, when the Order of St. George finds out about a possible dragon they decide to send two of their best to track them down, know for sure if it's them and then kill them. The problem with that? is when one of the hunters starts to have feelings for the main female character. typical. Truly, there wasn't really anything new here. However I love Julie Kagawa's writing, she can take an ordinary story and still write it beautifully in such a way that you enjoy the story regardless of the outcome you know is going to happen. The romance was a bit eye rolling even thought you held onto the book wanting to know where Kagawa was going to take you.

Overall I still really enjoyed the story and couldn't put it down. I have yet to be disappointed with anything Julie Kagawa writes.

Sexual Content: moderate (PG-13 sexual tension, kissing)
Language: moderate (I think it was more of PG- PG-13 I think it was more than I expected but not horrible)
Violence: mild
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate (underage drinking, knowledge that a character gets drunk)

Copy received from Netgalley for an honest review.

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

Talon was not the book about dragons I was expecting to read. Ember and Dante (a slight nod to their fiery other selves?) are engrossing and real. The only pair of dragons born together, they’ve been raised by Talon, a mysterious organisation to ‘keep dragons safe’. They’ve come to assimilate themselves into human society, learning as teenagers. Ember becomes rebellious – enjoying surfing, her human friends and the brief yet tantalising glimpses of a rogue dragon – Riley. He makes her dragon’s head lift, but it’s Garrett, the boy with a secret, who barely cracks a smile, that makes her heart race.

The secrets they hold will choose Ember’s path – will she choose Dante, her brother? The perfect one. He believes in Talon, and everything it stands for. Riley, the rogue dragon? He tells tales of Talon that scare Ember into action. Or will it be Garrett? The boy she just can’t forget – when playing zombie war games or teaching him to surf. Will St George – the Order dedicated to eradicating dragons, get to them before anyone else can? Is there a way to bridge the gap between dragons and humans? Talon and St George don’t think so – but Ember does. Ember, the dragon with human best friends and a lust for everything they do.

Talon was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. So much so, that I was almost afraid to read it. I LOVE Kagawa (was so excited to meet her at BEA) and I also adore dragons, so this seemed like a match made in heaven! Then some reviews started trickling in, and they weren’t all that favorable – I started to get very nervous. But, on the positive side I knew a little bit more what to expect, so that helped me when I went to go read the book. The basics of those reviews that I was reading was this – this book isn’t heavy on dragons and dragon-lore. It reads more like a typical paranormal YA with a dragon storyline at its base. So, knowing that going in helped me to set my expectations a bit. I found that I actually ended up being pleasantly surprised by the amount of dragon action that was in the book (especially at the end).

Ember and her brother Dante are dragons who have been assigned to blend into society in their human forms. They have one summer to learn to integrate with humans before they receive their assignments within Talon, the organization that governs all dragons. Ember wants nothing more than to live out her three months in freedom, but she finds that she’s being hunted – and that Talon may not be everything she believes it to be.

Garrett is a member of the Order of St. George – a secret society that has been trained to slay dragons. His mission is to find the dragon who has been secretly placed into a small California town – and kill her. As soon as Garrett meets Ember he’s suspicious that she might be the dragon he’s looking for, but of course, he has to be absolutely certain before he does anything rash. In the meantime, he finds himself falling for Ember and he realizes that, if she truly is the dragon, then everything he’s believed about dragons is not entirely true. They may not be the monsters he’s always believed them to be.

What I LOVED:

Garrett.
I know, I know. This storyline has been done before. The hunter falls in love with the hunted. But, I’m sorry, I’m a complete sucker for this trope when it’s done well, and I thought that Kagawa did it extremely well. I was kind of in love with Garret myself. He wasn’t afraid to act on his beliefs – or to question them. By the end of the book, both Garrett and Ember find themselves reeling, questioning everything they’ve ever believed in, and I was completely drawn into their stories! Oh, and I was definitely shipping Garrett and Ember!

Questioning beliefs and shifting loyalties.
Both Garrett and Ember go through some extreme crises of faith. In Ember’s case, she’s been raised to believe that Talon takes care of its people and that anyone who goes rogue is a danger to dragon society. When she meets Riley, he starts to show her that Talon isn’t telling the whole story – that not everyone is being protected by the organization, and in fact, some dragons are being exploited. Similarly, Garrett has been told that dragons are all evil – that they cannot help their baser natures and are naturally destructive and bloodthirsty. The Order has taught him that dragons will take over the world if given the chance – and it is his duty to stop them. Of course, meeting Ember makes him question all of that. And he starts to wonder if he has really just been blindly following the Order without really seeing the dragons for who and what they are. Garrett and Ember’s journeys are parallel – they’re both learning to think for themselves instead of following the leader. At the same time, both Garrett and Ember have to decide if they’re willing to betray the people who have been most important in their lives.

Dragons!
Have I mentioned that I love dragons? Every time Ember took flight or there was a dragon battle with the Order of St. George, I was enthralled! I LOVED the dragony bits of this story and I can’t wait for more in the next book!!

The negatives:

The love triangle.
I didn’t feel like there was much development in the relationship between Riley and Ember – just a sort of implication that their dragon sides were drawn to each other – so I couldn’t really get behind the love triangle in the book. It wasn’t exactly a full-blown triangle anyway, but I get the feeling that it might be more of one in the next book – we shall see! The love triangle was probably the biggest aspect that kept me from really loving this book.

Less fantasy than you might be expecting.
Yep, those other reviewers were right. Like I said in my intro, this book is less straight-up fantasy and more YA paranormal with dragons and dragon-lore. The characters spend most of the book in human form, and we only get glimpses of fire-breathing dragons. That being said, I LOVED the glimpses that I did get, and the fantasy element really picked up A LOT in the end!

So, while this might not have been full-fledged dragon fantasy, I still found myself on the edge of my seat, loving the characters that Kagawa created for me and fully engaged in their story. I give this one 4/5 stars.

***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

4.5 Stars

A new Kagawa series! I am excited! Featuring Dragons… Yes please!
This was a fantastic introduction to the Talon series, as I was able to meet and get to know a few of the characters quite well. There was a lot of detail also introduced, to get a great understanding of the world and what Talon is.

Ember has been looking forward to this summer break, as it will be her last hurrah before settling into her role in the Talon community. All dragons are raised with certain futures already set for them and she is no exception. She is lucky though because she has had her brother Ethan with her for the whole journey. But things don’t remain as peaceful as Ember hoped and she is thrust into more training. She meets a few people that also make her question what she knows about Talon, and I loved seeing her hesitate as it meant she is not just a yes girl. You could see her mind swaying all throughout the story.

With dragons, you can expect hunters, so that is where Garrett comes into it. He is part of St.George, the elite hunting team that bring Talon operatives down. He and his friend Tristan are sent on an undercover mission to flush the dragon out, but nothing could prepare him for the emotional turmoil this assignment would put him through. I really liked Garrett; his connection with Ember built slowly and they both felt the pull to one another. He has never had a normal life so is unsure how to deal with his feelings and I found that quite interesting to watch.

Talon is split in 2 parts; Ember and Garrett's perspectives were in the first part and another POV was introduced in the second part, which gave us more insight into the overall picture. I liked all three of these characters and could see the bonds between these characters getting stronger the more time they spent together. I think that Julie has done an amazing job setting up this series. I’m really not sure who the real villains are, and how this will all unfold, which shows you how clever Julie is to have you on your toes. I am keen to see where things go after that epilogue… I really want to see where their loyalties truly lie!

Complimentary copy provided by the Publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay...so I know that this book has been receiving a fair amount of negative reviews--DISREGARD THEM ALL! Talon completely blew me away. I was a bit tepid going into this book after hearing so many less than stellar reviews, but I just had to buy the book because the cover was simply gorgeous (#booknerdproblems). And I was not disappointed--both content wise and cover wise. I mean, look what I found beneath the dust jacket:

Okay, I'm done gushing about the stunning artwork/design. Let me get straight to the story itself. First of all, I want to make clear: IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A HARD CORE DRAGON FANTASY BOOK, TURN AWAY. Yes, this book contains dragons (quite a few of them, as a matter of fact.) But the dragons we're dealing with assume the form of human beings in order to disguise themselves and to blend in with society. And also, did I mention this book takes place in the modern world? Yes--you heard that right; I was quite surprised by this because there are very few dragon containing/dragon based books that takes place in the real world (of course, Hogwarts is real too.)

One of my favorite aspects of Talon is the dual (and later on, tri) point of view. Ember is a dragon disguised as a human under the orders of Talon. Think of Talon as the Big Brother of the dragon society--it' omnipotent and anyone who breaks away from Talon is hunted down. I found it very interesting to read a story from a dragon's point of view--1st person POV, no less. This was definitely unique and made Talon stand out from other dragon/fantasy books. Garret, another main character, is a dragon hunter. In many ways, he reminded me of Thomas with a dash of Metias from Legend by Marie Lu. Last but not least there's Riley, the rouge dragon who Ember is learning dark secrets about Talon from. And yes, there's definitely a love triangle thing going on between Ember, Riley and Garret. But the writing was so good that I am completely willing to overlook that :-)

The plot...that plot. Gosh I am such a sucker for plots that are based off of dramatic irony. (Take Legend for example.) Actually, in many ways, the basic plot structure of Talon reminds me that of Legend's. Except that instead of a girl hunting down a boy, it's a boy hunting down a girl in the case of Talon. Garret is hunting down dragons and meets Ember--but has no idea that she is in fact one of the dragons he is supposed to kill.

Talon is wonderfully written and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Hatchling dragons, Ember and her brother Dante, have been assigned to Crescent Beach, California for the summer. For three months all they have to do is obey curfew and check in with their human caretakers as they try to assimilate with humans. But it's not long into their trial when their 'vacation' gets cramped by daily training sessions. As young members of Talon they are being prepared for their roles in both hunting down rogue dragons for retraining and for protecting their kind from the infamous Order of St. George.

When Garret and his partner take an assignment to try and root out a rumored dragon sleeper in Crescent Beach he's known among his peers within the Order of St. George as the perfect soldier. His whole life revolves around training to slay dragons not socializing with teenage girls in hopes of outing a dragon. Meeting Ember brings out new feelings that make him question if everything he's been trained to know about dragons is true, even as Ember begins to see her own organization might not be everything she thought it was either.

I'm usually a huge Kagawa fan but I have to admit from the start I'm not a big fan of alternating first-person narratives and that really bogged this book down for me. It gets worst in the latter chapters as the characters rehash the same events from their own perspective. I also found myself never quite warming up to Garret. He wasn't unlikable, I just found his characterization did a little too much telling and not enough organic story was happening to really peel back his layers so I could feel attached to him. Cobalt on the other hand had personality that came out well in his dialog but then his thoughts about Ember went randomly lovey and it felt awkward, almost uncomfortable.

While I had a little trouble with her love interests I liked Ember a lot. Not as much as other Kagawa heroines but still, she's one readers are going to be eager to follow. I very much enjoyed her evolution from the beginning of the book and fortunately the story is fairly smooth paced before it gets mega-dramatic toward the climax. It was overall pretty predictable as far as plots go but Kagawa manages to make the journey enjoyable enough it's okay to know what's going to happen to each character in the end.

Definitely not my favorite book from this author but a creative new world of dragons and dragon slayers I will be eager to revisit as soon as the next installment hits shelves.

I absolutely loved this book! It had all the right things plus some. Even the love triangle was done well, and I hate love triangles. I feel much love for both Garrett and Riley.

Going into this I felt a little doubtful because I only read one dragon book before this, and it didn't end well for me. I put my worries aside deciding to try again. I'm so glad I did because I loved Ember from the very beginning. She was feisty, stubborn, had a mind of her own, and never let anyone put her down. Even with the Talon telling her what to do and what her future would be like, she took matters into her own hands because she knew that Talon was not completely honest. She knew deep down that Talon was just as bad as the humans or St. George. I loved her personality too. She took everything with a grain of salt and just went with it. Ember was a cheerful, funny person with her human friends, and it just showed me that she could be normal too.

Going back to the love triangle. As I was saying before, I don't particularly care for love triangles especially when the girl is so indecisive that she's pulling the strings along of both boys and is practically cheating on them both. That's not the case here. Ember has her heart pretty much on just one boy and does not lead the other boy on, making it pretty clear who she chooses. Also, the author makes it really hard to hate both guys! But that is a good thing. Both Garrett and Riley have positive attributes about them which makes it harder to decide who Ember should be with. As of right now, Ember could pick either guy and I would be happy. Let's see how it goes as the series progresses.

I loved the relationship between Ember and Garrett. They are both sort of new to the world, acting as normal teenagers so everything is so fresh for them. When they first meet, they're both attracted to each other yet unsure because of the situations they are in. They're relationship blossomed perfectly with out the insta-love. They got to know each other and care for each other slowly. I liked how they both experienced new things together because they not only got to know one another, they got to know their own self as well.

There was not a dull moment in this book. From start to ending something was always happening. Whether it was the romance, the new adventures, or the fighting, I could not put this book down. I enjoyed every second of it making me crave more dragons! The last quarter especially kept me on the tips of my toes. Then the ending came. How could it end like that?! It was so sad because I was not expecting that ending, and I needed more! Can there be book two already? I NEED to know what happens to Garrett and Ember!

Overall, this was an awesome beginning to a new series. I think my only gripe I had with the book is the way Ember kept ignoring her intuition about Garrett. She would get a nagging feeling that he was a sniper, but then would just blow it off. I wanted to yell at her and tell her all the signs are there that he isn't a normal human being! Stop being a naive person. Aside from that set back, I most definitely recommend reading this book if you like dragons and lots of action, with some steamy scenes. It is truly a fantastic book and one of my favorites this year. I cannot wait to continue this series!

My Thoughts: I always enjoy Kagawa’s series so I knew I had to read this one as soon as I heard about it!

We are introduced to Ember and Dante who are brother and sister. They are also dragons. They are training to become a part of Talon. Talon is a kind of society for dragons. Everyone has a role to play, a place there. They get assigned and it becomes their life.

Well, the summer they start training Ember meets a boy named Garret. He is a soldier who is out to kill her kind; dragons. She also meets another guy named Riley. Riley is a lot like her and she can relate to him on so many levels. She also gets some new friends as well. Things are ok for her. She spends the days training but at night gets to spend time with her friends. She’s ok in this lifestyle. She just wants to be normal.

But how can she be normal when so many people want to kill her? And her brother is also starting to act kind of weird.

I loved the plot of this one! I loved the dragon angle. I loved how Ember grew close to Garret and I also liked seeing things from his point of view. I liked that there was more to him than meets the eye.

I loved Kagawa’s other series and I just have a feeling this series is going to get better and better. I loved everything explained about dragons and how things went down with them. I loved the little things that happened throughout the novel, especially at the carnival and the surfing scenes. I felt like I was right there with her enjoying the days.

It was fun but also mysterious and a great plot!

I don’t want to say much else about this one but I loved it! I got sucked right in and read it in a few days!

Another amazing one by Kagawa!!! A must read!

Overall: Great story line, great characters, great details, just all in all, GREAT!

Cover: Like it! I’d definitely pick it up and it does have a dragon feel to it! HA!

What I’d Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
___________
Taken From Princess Bookie

MY THOUGHTS
Sigh. I'm very disappointed in this book.
I've given every Julie Kagawa book 5 stars. Her Blood of Eden series is the best vampire series I've ever read and I adore her Iron Fey series, so needless to say, I expected great things from this.

I should have known right off from the synopsis that this book would not be up to par as her other books. Yes, there's dragons, but what I get from the synopsis is that the book is about a dragon that can change into human form and a dragon hunter falling in love.

That's the book. It's the exact same plot as another book, Firelight, which I liked, but I'm not wild about. I admit, the fact that it's so similar to Firelight was a big reason why I had difficulty enjoying this book. I liked the world-building and I did find Talon and the Order interesting, and yeah, pretty much the plot was the main similarity between the two. I found everything else interesting.

The romance was what really caused me to distance myself. It was too insta-love for me and it took up too much of the book. I enjoy romance in book, but I prefer to hear about the dragons than the whole love-life. I also worry that the next book will introduce a love triangle.

IN CONCLUSION
I know I'm bashing on this, but I did like it. I loved the original ideas in this book, not so much on the plot. The romance was meh. I'm mostly disappointed because I had such high expectations.
If you enjoyed Firelight, you should read this book.
As for me, I will continue the series. Mostly because I am curious.